Carpet sweeper



9m Lb e e h s s .Ta e nv h S 2 .Rr WB m .BE RW DS .T JVE 'DL WR A C m. d0 M 0 m No. 443,164.- Patented Deo. 23, 1890.

MyW/# n UNITED STATES PAT-ENT Critics.

IVALTER J. DREW, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR vTO TIIE BISSELLCARPET SIVEEPER COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,164, dated December23, 1890.

Application filed July 19, 1890. Serial No. 359,295. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, WALTER J. DREW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Sweepers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to carpet-sweepers, and has for its object toprovide novel yokes for retaining the bail perpendicular, and alsopreventing the pivoted ends thereof from spreading outward. p

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel springbar ofsuch construction as to support the brush-shaft, retain the elasticfurniture-guard in position, and cover and conceal the ends of the usualgrooves formed in the side walls of the sweepercase for the reception ofthe bent ends of such spring-bar.

To accomplish these objects my invention involves the features ofconstruction, the combination or arrangement of devices, and theprinciples of operation hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aperspective view of a carpetsweeper provided with my invention; Fig. 2,a detail perspective view of the bail and the yokes. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of one end of the sweeper-casing, omitting thespring-bar to exhibit the construction of one of the grooves forreceiving the bent ends of such spring-bar. Fig. e is a detailperspective view of one of the spring-bars.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawings, wh erein The numeral l indicates the sweeper-casing; 2, thedrive-wheels5 3, the friction-pulley on the brush-shaft; and 4, theswinging handle-carrying bail, having its ends pivotally connected withthe end walls of the sweepercasing in any suitable manner. Thebrushshaft is supported at each end by a transverse spring-bar 5, havingits end portions bent, as at 6, at right angles and ent-ending along theside Walls 7 of the sweeper easing. This spring-bar is elastic for thepurpose of permitting convenient attachment and detachtype of sweeper-s.

In the manufacture of carpet-sweepers having springbars ot' thecharacter described for supporting the ends of the brush-shaft the endsof the side walls of the casing are provided in their external surfaceswith longitudinal grooves to receive the bent-end portion 6 of thespring-bars. In ordinary sweepers the extremities of the bent ends otthe spring-bar terminate in the grooves, and the latter are thereforeexposed at their vanishing terminations, which in some respects detractsfrom the excellent appearance desired for placing the sweepers on themarket. To avoid these objections and also provide simple andinexpensive means for retaining or holding the elastic furnitureguard 8in proper relation to the bent ends of the spring-bars, I form thelatter at each extremity with abifurcation to produce apairof prolongedarms 9,'which are struck up to produce laterallyprojecting shoulders 10,between which the elastic band comprising the furniture-guard isarranged in such manner that the shoulders of the prolonged arms extendunder and over the top and bottom edges of such band, and therebyproperly coniine the elastic guard in correct position at this point.The prolonged arms of the spring-bars also extend over and cover andconceal the end portions 12 of the grooves, by which means the sweeperis made to present a more excellent appearance than ordinarily.

To retain the bail and handle in a perpendicular position and also avoidthe possibility of the pivoted ends of the bail spreading or movingoutwardly when eXtra pressure is ex erted on the handle during thesweeping operation, I provide at each end of the sweepercasing astationary yoke 13, which is composed of an arched or segmental yokehaving its end portions provided with lateral offsets 14, provided withears or lugs 15 for thereception of screws 1G, by which the yokes arerigidly attached to the outer surface of the end walls of thesweeper-casing. These yokes are provided centrally over the brush-shaftand project between the drive-wheels, and the uppermost portion of eachyoke is provided mentof the brush-shaft, as is common in this IOO - witha concavity 17, arranged in a vertical plane coincident with the axis ofthe pivoted bail in such manner that When the bail is brought to aperpendicular position it springs laterally into engagement with theeoncavities, and is thereby sustained and held in a perpendicularposition, While it is readily released from such engagement by slightpressure on the handle to swing the bail to either side of thesweeper-casing- In the swinging movements of the bail its elastic orspring arms move in Contact with the arched orsegmental yoke, andconsequently it is impossible for the pivoted ends of the bail to spreador move outwardly, even though excessive pressure be brought to bearupon the propelling-handle- The yokes are formed,preferably, of a narroWstrip oi' metal, and the prolonged ends of the bail are preferablyprovided with circular plates, the Whole constituting a neat andattractive appearance; but obviously the circular plates are notessential.4

Having thus described my invention, what A l. The combination, with asweeper-casing and the handle-carrying bail pi voted to the end Wallsthereof, of yokes provided with lateral offsets having ears or lugsrigidly attached to the end walls of the casing fOr preventing thepivoted ends ot' the bail from spreadingou tWard, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the sweeping-casing havin g side Walls, of thetransverse springbars having each extremity formed with a pair ofseparated prolonged arms, which are struck up to provide lateralshoulders, between which is arranged the elastic furnitureguard,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

WALT ER J. DREW. Witnesses:

EDWARD Tastatur, HARRY P. VAN WAGNER.

